Bissell Centre
Bissell Centre
Bissell Centre is a nonprofit organization in Edmonton dedicated to eliminating poverty and supporting vulnerable individuals and families. They offer a wide range of programs and services, including housing assistance, employment programs, harm reduction initiatives, and community support. With a strong focus on equity, reconciliation, and systemic change, Bissell Centre empowers individuals to move toward stability and independence. Their mission is to foster a community where everyone has access to the resources and opportunities needed to thrive.
The Challenge
Bissell Centre sought Adster’s expertise to improve the effectiveness of their digital marketing efforts, particularly in managing their Google Ads campaigns. Although they had been approved for a Google Grant and previously worked with another agency, they needed a more strategic approach to drive donations, increase volunteer recruitment, and enhance engagement with fundraising events. With a limited budget for website changes and a strong focus on maximizing ad performance, Bissell Centre turned to Adster for a data-driven and results-oriented solution.
Our Approach
To optimize Bissell Centre’s digital strategy, we focused on increasing donations, volunteer signups, and overall engagement. Key improvements included restructuring Google Ads campaigns for better targeting, enhancing website usability to streamline the donation and volunteer process, improving SEO and technical health for better visibility, and implementing advanced tracking and analytics to measure success. These changes aimed to maximize impact and further support Bissell Centre’s mission.
Limitations with Google Grant
While the Google Ad Grant provides a valuable opportunity for nonprofits like Bissell Centre, it comes with several challenges and limitations. Google enforces strict compliance rules, such as maintaining a 5% minimum click-through rate (CTR) and restricting the use of single-word or overly broad keywords, limiting flexibility in campaign targeting. Additionally, a $2.00 max cost-per-click (CPC) cap makes it difficult to compete with paid advertisers, requiring the use of automated bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions. Unlike standard Google Ads accounts, Google Grants do not allow display ads, restricting brand awareness and remarketing efforts. Furthermore, grant accounts often have lower priority in Google’s auction system, reducing their impression share and visibility against paid advertisers. Many nonprofits also struggle with conversion tracking requirements, which are essential for optimizing campaign performance. To navigate these challenges, we optimized Bissell Centre’s keyword strategy, leveraged automated bidding, enhanced tracking and analytics, and focused on high-impact campaigns like donations and volunteer signups to maximize results within the grant’s constraints.
What We Did
To improve digital marketing performance, we restructured Bissell Centre’s Google Ads campaigns for better targeting and efficiency. We optimized keyword strategy by adding broad match variations to capture more relevant searches and increase engagement. Campaigns were segmented into branded, programs, and donation-focused ads, each designed to maximize conversions. With refined bidding strategies and conversion tracking, we significantly improved click-through rates, reduced cost-per-conversion, and increased overall ad-driven donations and volunteer signups.
Results (Last 90 Days Compared to Previous Year):
- Overall conversion rate improved by 20.28%, now at 14.48% across all campaigns.
- Total conversions grew by 23.3%, leading to increased donations and volunteer signups.
- Cost per conversion decreased by 14.81%, improving ad spend efficiency.
- Branded campaign conversion rate increased by 11.45%, reaching 14.50%.
- Programs campaign conversion rate surged by 95.92%, showing significant engagement growth.
